Our adoption application can be found at the bottom of this pets bio. Once your application has been approved, we can arrange a virtual meet & greet with you and Ralphie!

Ralphie is currently in a foster home in Houston, TX and is eligible to transport to an adopter as soon as one is lined up.

Meet Ralphie!

Ralphie is the sweetest pittie mix youve ever met! Hes estimated to be about 2 years old and currently weighs 52 pounds. He is fully vaccinated, microchipped, neutered and ready to find a family to take him on allllll the adventures!

Ralphie was found as a stray in Houston by a good Samaritan. She had been feeding him for a couple of days and hoping a family could be found for him, but no one came forward. He was extremely skinny and covered in fleas, but he was oh, so affectionate. 

Initially, Ralphie was on the high energy side. He was very excited to be inside a home and would jump on his foster mom in excitement and run through the door when it was time to go out to potty. Ralphie has made tremendous progress in both of these areas as he has learned to be an inside pet! Ralphie has learned sit and down. He is eager to please his humans! He rides well on trips in the car. He is crate trained and potty trained. He is still working on walking nicely on the leash outside. He has a prey drive so can get distracted with small animals (squirrels, rabbits, ducks, birds, etc.). He is food motivated and it has been a great way to train him. He counter surfs (puts his paws up on the counter to look and see what treats are up there) but understands “off.” 

Ralphie rides well on trips in the car. He is crate trained, potty trained, and knows how to use the doggy door. Initially, he was crated at night and while foster mom was at work. Now, he is only crated at night. He is left in a spare room while foster mom is at work and he does great!

Ralphie is dog friendly and currently lives in a home with other dogs! Due to reactions with the neighbor’s outdoor cat, he would do best in a home without cats. Ralphie has bursts of energy when he wants to play (sometimes zoomies). They are not long, and he enjoys lying by your side when calm. He is learning to keep himself busy when foster mom is working from home. He will play with one of his toys, enjoy a chew treat, lie down nearby, or lie in his crate.

Ralphie is working on decreasing his leash reactivity while on walks. He may bark or pull when he sees other dogs, but it is never aggressive. He is just excited to see other pups! If he is startled or unsure about a situation, he barks or may jump. He was evaluated by a trainer that confirmed it is fear/insecurity rather than aggression. He did well during the training session and is such a fast learner / eager to please his human! 

Ralphie is also learning to curb puppy behaviors such as mouthing during play and putting on his brakes. He gets excited while playing and sometimes runs right into you when bringing back the toy. He loves tug-o-war or fetch with squeaky toys. He is learning catch with some of his toys. He loves treats such as bully sticks, yak chews, frozen raw marrow bones, stuffed KONG, yogurt, and peanut butter.  

Ralphie has not been around children, but due to his size and general goofiness, we think he would do best in a home with children over the age of 10. As mentioned, he sometimes lacks spatial awareness when playing and could easily knock over a child, and he still engages in mouthy play.

Ralphie notices people but does not seem overly excited to meet them. However, once he warms up to a person, his wiggle butt is activated. A few times he has barked at people on walks when he was startled. He has done well interacting with vets and vet techs during appointments. 

Here is what his foster mom says about Ralphie: “Ralphie is a goofy love bug. I feel he was an outside dog and is appreciating being inside and close to a human. He loves sitting or lying by my side but is also content with his own space. There is something about his eyes that melts your heart. His tail is always wagging, and he loves belly rubs and back/neck massages. Even though he has some things to work on, his personality brings smiles and laughter, and his love is unconditional.” 

Interested in learning more about Ralphie or applying to adopt him? Please fill out an adoption application below!

https://heartoftheunderdog.org/adoption-application